My girlfriend and I have shared an apartment together for several months now. We get along great for the most part, however, there are things about her past that I find concerning.
Early on in our relationship, she told me too much about the numerous one night stands that she had while in college. I know that this type of behavior is common for many college students, but the amount of these encounters that she had is troubling.
Initially these stories didn't bother me, but the thought of them started to weigh on my mind as our relationship grew. In my mind, this reflects poorly on her character. The details of these encounters has made trusting her difficult, as I see that she would be more likely to cheat in a relationship. I have never felt this way in any other relationship.
We have tried to talk about her past several times, but each time, she becomes emotional, and my concerns go unaddressed, mostly because she thinks that I want to leave her because of her past.
I don't explicitly tell her that I have trust issues. Instead, I talk about how much the thought of these encounters weigh on my mind. These conversations have done nothing but cause additional stress for the both of us. Although she says that she regrets the things she did in the past, she continues to bring these events up from time to time despite the way they make me feel.
I love her and want to work through these problems, but I just can't help feel that she is not the person who I think she is.
My question is:
- How can I bring about a serious conversation about her past, and communicate to her that bringing up these experiences from her past makes me uncomfortable, without her becoming emotional, and leaving my concerns unaddressed?
Edit: I appreciate the time and effort everyone has put into helping me deal with this issue. I now regret asking this question in such a public space. Several of you have helped me see how foolish this concern really is. I will come to terms with this on my own and never bother her with it again. I care too much for her to let this small matter stand in the way.
Thank you for taking the time to talk some sense into me.